Blood Is Thicker
by ABalletBun
Summary: Claire has a secret: she's a witch. When her deranged sister, Lucy comes to town with a vengeance, Claire must learn who she is, who she wants and who she loves before it's too late. Re-written, eventual Clyrnin.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I previously deleted this story from fanfiction because I really hated it but it kept calling me so I re-wrote it all again. I hope it's a better quality story for you all now :) Also, this is set after Daylighters,but Claire and Shane aren't married and Claire would be 19 now. - Megan Jane x**

I wake with a jolt, my limbs sprawling all over the show. I gasp convulsively and begin to shake as heavy tears drip down my cheeks. I feel Shane waking up and immediately regret it. He is one mistake away from being in trouble at work, a night of next to no sleep could be the icing on the cake that leads to him being fired. I'd hate to cause that.

"Claire, sweetheart. Are you okay?" he asks and I sigh. _No, Shane, _I think, _I'm not okay. This is the 5th nightmare this week where I see my family murdered in front of my eyes again and there's still 2 and a half days left. _Of course, I don't say that. He - and Eve and Michael too, for that matter - doesn't know about my dark past and I'd prefer to keep it that way. While I'm sure he sympathize over the loss of my brother and sisters, after losing his own sister, I don't want to open the can of worms that telling him about my family would definitely open.

"I'll be fine, Shane. Just go back asleep." I say harshly and take it back instantly. It's not _his _fault that I had a dream and woke him up. He's just trying to be a good boyfriend, he's not trying to annoy me, I'm doing that all by myself. Shane huffs and rolls over to face the other way, showing that he isn't happy with the way I spoke to him, "I'm sorry, I just hate dreams like that. It's not your fault."

He turns back to face me now, resting his face on the pillow. His eyes are open and pained, staring right back into mine. My hearts breaks knowing that I know everything about him, whilst he knows so little about me and my past. He puts his rough hand on my cheek and gently wipes away my tears.

"Why can't you tell me what's wrong," he asks quietly, "What are your dreams about to get you so upset?"

"It's nothing, really." I lie, "They're just normal Morganville fears, you know?" Another lie. I can tell he doesn't believe that for one second, he can read me like a book. At least, he has the decency to push it no further than that and let me have my space to mope alone.

"Well, you know that I'm here if you want to talk. Now let's both go back asleep." Of course he's here. He always has been. He loves me and I know he will always love me and be right there when I need him. Would I do the same? Usually, the answer would be yes but I could easily names a few things that would over-rule my need to care for Shane. My sister being one of them.

I close my eyes and breathe slowly to let Shane think that I am falling back asleep, so he will too. It works because after a couple long, dragging minutes, I feel his tense muscles relax and his breathing settles in a peaceful rhythm of inhaling then exhaling. I squirm out of his strong arms and tip-toe to the window to look at the world outside.

I used to believe that the night was beautiful and when I was younger, I would often stare out at he blank, pitch dark sky and dream about being outside, gazing up at the stars. Being in Morganville, the night still has a special connection with me: it always has, although I'll admit that I have grown to appreciate the comforts of being inside a lot more now that I've seen first-hand what dangers lurk in the night. Strangely, for me, atleast, the dangers aren't vampires.

My sister, Lucinda Davina "Lucy" Danvers, is out there somewhere. That thought alone is worse than any vampire-related debacle I have survived through. Sometimes, I've learnt, your biggest enemy is hiding behind the mask of someone you love.

Tomorrow will mark the 4-year-anniversary of the fire that took the lives of my brother, Florian and my sister, Keira. It also marks the 4-year-anniversary of the day that my youngest sister, Anna was murdered, although those two are unrelated (a fact that saddens me a lot). It also marks 4 years since Lucy was arrested and therefore, the day that she is released will also be tomorrow. That event is related to the fire and the death of Anna, despite the debate between Lucy and I on whether it was justified.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Lucy will want revenge. When she has her mind set on something, there is almost nothing that will change it. No amount of time in prison would change how she felt towards me, be it 4 years or forty. If she didn't attack tomorrow, the she would attack next week and if she didn't attack next week then it will be in a few weeks, but no matter what: she won't let me escape.

...

The next thing that I feel is the sun shining through the window. My eyes spring open, rusty and tired as I yawn and stretch. My body aches from sleeping curled up on the floor. I jolt up and look around the room, as if Lucy would be in the corner waiting for me. She wasn't, of course. I felt stupid and stood up, wiping the remainders of dust from Shane's bedroom floor away from myself. Shane was still asleep, even though it was 9am already. I heard laughing downstairs, telling me that Michael and Eve must already be awake.

I showered and got dressed before going downstairs to join them. I had 3 classes today: physics theory, quantum mechanics then lab with Myrnin. _Fun fun fun, _I thought to myself sarcastically. Seeing Myrnin again wouldn't be too bad, at least. He didn't care about why I was so sad, or if he did, he didn't ask or make a big deal out of it at least.

Checking the time, I realized that I was running late. I gave Michael and Eve a hurried goodbye, swung my ragged, worn backpack over my shoulder and bounded out the door. As soon as I stepped outside, I felt a cold wind take over me, stopping me in my tracks.

Everything is so... dark. Dark is the only way to describe it. I wrap my arms around my self in an attempt to shield myself. A shadow in the corner of the lot streaks towards me maliciously and my heart begins to pound. I consider screaming but my voice is blocked.

Then it stops. Just as quickly as it started, the darkness is gone and the sweltering Texas sun is back again. I shake my head and carry on walking to school, brushing it off as a mistake. Little did I know that today was the day that my life would change and not for the better.

**Okay, so I told ages to re-write this chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyway! So what is this 'darkness' that Claire is talking about?**


	2. Chapter 2

**This story will be quite heavy with original characters, by the way. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (it's not mine, for sure) but I hope you read on anyway. If you can guess where the Aramaic reference is from, then I'll be very impressed. **

The day was hot. Not unusual in Texas, but not the most pleasant thing either. One good thing about this weather was that it kept vampires firmly inside until at least 9 o'clock, when the sun would set.

Physics was boring, to say the least. So was quantum mechanics. After working with Myrnin for a few years, nothing that we did in class could seem interesting. I checked the time: 2:55pm. I still had about 40 minutes until I had to leave to go to the lab. To pass the time, I decided to get some revision done in the University Center before I had to leave. I ordered an iced mocha and sat down to read my guide that Myrnin had given me to alchemic symbols. It was in Aramaic and I had to use google translate - I know, I know, it's awful to figure most of it out although it was actually relatively interesting.

I was pulled out of my reading by a seat being pulled out from next to me. My head flew up to look at who it was that was joining me at the table and my heart jumped into my chest. Lucy, who promised that she would kill me last time we met, was sitting next to me. She was taller than me, which made sense since she would be 21 now, the same age as Eve and Shane. She hadn't changed since the last time saw her. Same long, dirty blonde hair. Same slender figure. Same murderous glint in her almond-shaped brown eyes.

"Lucy..." I started, trying - and failing - to hide the fear in my voice.

"Claire, it's been a while little sister. How have you been?" Lucy asked menacingly.

"I'm okay." I mumbled, "You?" Why was I asking? Oh yeah, _I still love her no matter what she does. _She _is _my sister after all. With Florian, Keira and Annie dead, she really was all I had. That's why it killed me inside to know that she wanted me dead.

"Need to stretch my legs after being in a cell for so long, you know?" She laughed, sound less scary now and more like the girl that I knew. Then her voice changed, becoming hard and vicious, "I shouldn't have been in there Claire, and we both know it."

I swallowed awkwardly. I knew this topic would come up sooner or later: Annie's death. I blamed Lucy for it. Lucy blamed me.

My parents had 5 children: My eldest sister, Keira, who had been 5 years older than me; Lucy, who sat next to me now; Florian, my twin brother who reminded me so much of Michael; myself then Annie. We were all witches, born and bred in New Orleans, where power was strongest. Both of our parents' families were strong witch blood lines so naturally, we harvested that energy into spells and all 5 of us were powerful. Lucy and I more so than the others.

One day that energy turned against me. Lucy told the witches were I was hiding and they tried to kill me. They missed. Annie was in the way of their plans so she ended up as collateral damage.

My voice sounded croaky as I asked, "What do you want, Lucinda?" I hoped that using Lucy's full name would show her that I was joking around

Lucy laughed manically, "I want a lot of things, my dear Clarissa." Ugh. I hated my full name, "I want a million dollars, I want an Aston Martin, I want to marry Prince William but it's not happening. But if you mean to ask if I want anything from you then you're wrong. Can't I visit my little sister without having an ulterior motive? Do you really think I'm that bad?"

"Yes." I reply through gritted teeth. That earns me a slap, her hand hitting my face hard enough to leave a bruise.

Lucy sighs angrily, "I knew you were more than a pretty face, Claire. You're right, I do want something. I want my baby sister back."

"I can't bring her back. I've tried." I really had. After Sam's death, Myrnin and I tried to bring him back. We couldn't bring Sam back and he was a vampire. If a vampire couldn't be brought back, then there was no chance for a human like Annie.

"Try harder." Lucy growled, "Because trust me, I know all about you and I can hurt people who you love, even vampires."

I gasped, Lucy and I had always believed that vampires could be real and I knew for a fact that Lucy knew at least one vampire. But we were in the middle of the university where many people weren't 'in the know' and even now, I could see a few heads turning already.

"Keep your voice down," I growled.

Lucy began whispering now, but what she lacked in volume, she made up in an angry tone, "You live with 3 people, have I got that right? There's your boyfriend, Shane. Very sexy and strong, but easily dealt with," I swallowed, when I realised what 'dealt with' would mean, "Then there's Eve. No amount of scary face paint can stop me from hurting her. And I wouldn't forget Michael, he's not safe just because he's immortal. He can be hurt too."

"You barely even know me Lucy," I growled back at her, masking my fear.

"Don't I? Well maybe I'll prove how well I know you. Maybe I'll attack that crazy scientist that I know that you love."

She was planning on hurting Myrnin. Was she crazy? Myrnin would kill her before she got close. But then again, it was Lucy. She could cause someone agonizing pain by simply thinking about it, and with the founders ball tomorrow? There was a good chance that she would run into Myrnin at least once.

"You wouldn't hurt him, anyway." I laughed.

"So you're not denying that you love him?" Lucy raised her eyebrow and actually genuinally laughed as though she was my best friend. Talk about mood swings.

It was past the time that I was supposed to leave for Myrnin's lab so I grabbed my books, shoved them into my rucksack and stormed away from Lucy. I was nearly out of the campus when I remembered that I left my mocha on the table. _Damn, _I thought. I wanted to drink that.


	3. Chapter 3

After, I set out on my way home. The sun was setting; it was a burnt orange colour with streaks of yellow and grey. Logically, I should have sped up but I was overcome with the beauty of the night. I'd be home before the night completley fell anyway. It didn't take long to get there, 10 minutes at most. I was right, it wasn't quite night yet by the time that I ran up my steps to the Glass House.

The door flung open as I walked up the steps, "You're late" Shane growled.

"Only 15 minutes" I argued, "I just lost track of time". That was true. Lately, I had been spending extra time at Myrnin's. It was all just so fascinating and Myrnin wasn't bad on the eyes either.

_Did I really just think that with Shane right there? _Maybe Lucy was right, maybe I do have feelings for Myrnin. Not that he'd return them or anything. Or maybe I was overreacting. I mean, Shane checks out plenty of girls when he thinks I'm not looking, why cant I think that other boys besides him are cute? It's not exactly a crime.

Shane looked furious, as if he'd read my mind or something, "You're always late."

"My job's important, Shane. Besides it's only 15 minutes, not 15 hours." I snapped back.

Shane scowled as I hung my jacket up. Eve came bounding out of the living room, "Who's Lucy?" she asked.

"What?" I mumbled, unable to comprehend whether she'd just asked about my sister.

"I said..." Eve smiled innocently, "Who's Lucy? She stopped by today asking about you? I told her you were at the university."

Lucy had been here? So she knows where I live? Stratch that, the whole town knows where I live. But then again, the whole town didn't come knocking on my door, asking my friends where I was. What had Lucy told them anyway?

"I don't know..." I mumbled.

"Well she knows you." Eve replied, confused.

I ran upstairs to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. The hot water soothed my muscles but did little to comfort my aching mind. Why the hell did Lucy come here? What does she want? She knows that Annie can't be brought back and that nothing can change the past between us. Switching the shower off, I listened to what was happening downstairs.

"Yeah, she just freaked out and ran upstairs." Eve explained.

"What did you say?" Michael asked, shocking showing his voice.

Eve defended herself, "I asked about some girl named Lucy and she got her knickers in a twist and ran upstairs."

"She overreacting, ignore her." Shane growled. Ouch. I can't say that didn't hurt. Overreacting, am I? You want to try having a sister who's trying to hunt you down and kill you and all your friends.

I go to my bedroom and lie face down on my bed. I just concentrat on breathing: in and out, in and out, in and out. I feel anger and confusion raging inside of me. Anger, at Lucy for hating me so much and confusion, at Shane for why he just doesn't understand.

_He doesn't understand because you won't tell him, _something inside me complains.

I shut that inner voice down and carry on lying on the bed. I turn to face the ceiling, following the patterns and lines that mark it. Directly above my room is the secret room, where Amelie and I usually meet when she has some sort of mission for me.

My mind goes back to when Lucy and I were just kids. We were best friends, and it's sad to think that now we want to kill each other. I know where it all went wrong, though. It all started when I lost control of my power and our family had to go on the run. If I could only control my damn power, then we'd be fine. Lucy and I would still love each other, Florian, Annie and Keira would still be here, I'd have never of came to Morganville and I'd still be happy.

I put my PJ's on, dry my hair and sit back down. I reach under my bed and pull out a brown box, decorated with a bright pink feather boa. I lift the lid and tip the box upside down, emptying it all over the bed. The first thing I see is a picture of me and Lucy, then a birthday card from Florian and a painting that Annie made in school one year. There's dance medals, certificates, letters, drawings and card all littered around the bed but there's one thing that I'm looking for.

"Where is it?" I mumble.

Then I see it. It's nothing special, just a tiny book with Lucy and I's baby scribbles in it, but when I open it, a sense of relief rushes over me. My inner power tells me that this is what I need to do. I need closure. As I open the very middle page where two silver staples hold the book together, I see the message that my uncle wrote me:

_If you ever want to know the truth, meet me in the motel on the outskirts of a town named Morganville. I'll be waiting._

_Aleksander._

Aleksander knows more about the night of the fire than me, and he knows something about my brother, Florian that I don't know. I have to find him. I can't stand not knowing. I never have been able to. I've always had this need to learn and know the truth, even when I was 2-3 years old.

I change into jeans and a hoodie, throw on a pair and black converse and head out. On my way out, I pick up my backpack and throw it over my shoulder. I doubt any vampires will attack me with the founder's protection, but you can't be too careful.

As I walk out the front door, I hear Shane, Eve and Michael laughing about something that I had no idea about. I shut the door as quietly as possible, taking into account the fact that Michael has supersonic hearing. As soon as I was out of the house, I ran as fast as I could to the motel where I knew Aleksander would be waiting.

**Okay, so this was a little bit of a filler chapter, sorry. It's really short as well, but the next chapter is awesome and long so hang in there! Chapter 4 will explain everything.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter was originally gong to be a standalone one-shot about Claire's childhood with Lucy, but I decided to incorporate it into this story instead, so here goes :) If you're still reading then thank you, I know it's confusing right now and it's full of OC's and my slow updates probably don't help either! You can skip this chapter but it will help you undertand more about why Lucy and Claire hate each other, the night of the fire and all the witchcraft bits.**

_Two sisters sat alone on a hill, they were staring down at the New Orleans lights in awe. It was late at night, but neither of the cared. The illuminations allowed them too see and neither Claire, nor Lucy were scared of the night._

_"It's cold." The youngest, Claire, whispered._

_"Here," Lucy mumbled, "I'll make us a fire."_

_The 14-year-old stared at a bush and concentrated on her power, causing the bush to burst into flames, showering both girls in warmth so that they could comfortably watch the fireworks._

_"That's pretty cool."_

_"I know, right?" Lucy smiled, passing Claire a can of fanta._

_Claire and Lucy were best friends. They'd grew up together and they had a sistrly bond that no one else could understand, not even Claire's twin brother, Florian. Claire wrapped a fleece blanket around her and tried to pull the words out of her mouth._

_"Mum says I have to go into the harvest next year." Claire confessed, "I don't want to do it."_

_Lucy scowled,"Then don't. It's all mumbo jumbo anyway. Please don't do it Claire."_

_"I have too."_

_"Why?" Lucy growled, standing up, "Because Mom told you too? Since when do you have to do everything _she _tells you too?"_

_"I suppose you're right." Claire mumbled, dropping the subject. The harvest was a contraversial topic within the witch community. It only came around once a century and witches were considered lucky to be in the harvest. Since Claire was part of an important family, she would be expected to be part of it, but she just had a bad feeling about the whole thing..._

_It was November 23rd, the day of the harvest. Claire was waiting with 4 other girls. She was the last girl to be harvested. There was a huge audience, all witches of course. Claire could see her parents, announcing proudly to everyone nearby that their daughter was in the harvest. _

_Claire steadied herself and headed up towards the podium where the girls where lining up. She took one last glance at her family. Keira was engrossed in her boyfriend, as per parents were still smiling at her proudly. Florian was holding Annie on his shoulders, while she waved crazily back down at us._

_The everything changed..._

_Then first girl from the harvest walked up to the elders who were holding a pot of blood. As she walked up to them, they marked her head with the red liquid. Then suddenly, she fell to the floor. At first, Claire couldn't process what happened._

_Then it clicked._

_She was dead._

_They were sacrificing the girls. They weren't performing some innocent ritual like they said they were, they were going to kill them all. Everyone was screaming and pushing to reach their loved ones. _

_Claire froze and looked up at Lucy. Lucy was shaking her head and mouthed, 'I told you so' then she walked away leaving Claire alone. Suddenly, Claire was next. She ran. It was all she could think of doing._

_The whole stage was on fire now, clearly they were trying to stop authorities finding out about the harvest. A harvest official police guard grabbed Claire from behind and started pulling her towards the podium. Claire focused all her energy on escape and pushed out. The police guard went flying into a wall, his gun flying across the floor towards Claire._

_Annie was crying now, running towards Claire. She was lost, clearly. Wait! Where was Florian. Annie had been with Florian a few minutes ago and now she wasn't. Were was he?_

_Claire picked the 7-year-old up into her arms and ran to a shack which only her family knew about, hoping to find shelter. They would be hiding in there wouldnt they? Claire held the gun in her left and Annie in her right as she pushed the door to the hut open._

_She stopped in her tracks at what (or who) was in the shack. Standing in front of her was a small coven of witches. How did they know she would be here? Instinctivly, Claire grabbed her gun, forgetting all about Annie. She shot out at one of the witches._

_The bullet went right through him without even fliching. He didn't even blink. What the hell? He couldn't be human. Claire shot again, this time everything moved in slow motion. The non-human witch grabbed Annie and pulled him in front of his body. The bullet that was intended for the witch hit the little girl in the chest._

_Claire screamed but stayed frozen in her spot. Time stood still as she watched her little sister die, knowing that she couldn't stop her._

_Arms were lifting her up now, but she didn't even notice that. All she could feel was anger. There was only 7 people who knew about that hiding place: Claire, her parents and her siblings. Clearly someone had told the witches were they were hiding, probably killing them all..._

_Claire felt herself lying on a bed somewhere. Her head was bleeding and banging. She'd heard that you shouldn't go asleep if you had a head injury, but honestly? Claire didn't care if she didn't wake up._

**I totally don't blame you if you skipped this chapter, but I hope you read it. Please review, I'd ove you forever. Oh and yes, I sort of stole this idea from the originals :p**


	5. Chapter 5

The motel was dark and dingy, but it screamed 'Aleksander' in every way. Aleksander may be a vampire, but he never expected a special life or anything from it, which I respected. That was not the only reason that I respected Aleksander, though. He was just a really nice person with good morals and when Anna died, he had taken me away from all the fighting, to this exact same hote room. He'd given me food and shelter, despite the fact that he barely knew me.

_*Flashback*_

_I tottered out onto the balcony over the little motel, my ankle in shreds. Aleksander was leaning dangerousy against the railing but I didn't worry; he was a vampire, if he fell, he wouldn't be hurt anyway._

_I felt numb to yesterday's events. It all seemed like a terrible dream that I coud wake up and ignore. It was only the aching bones and bruises all down my body that told me that this was really happening. Anna was dead and Florian was missing. God knows where Keira and my parents were. And Lucy? Well Lucy could burn in hell for all I cared. She told the witches were I was, which lead to my sister getting killed. What happened to 'Blood is thicker than water' anyway?_

_"Where are we?" I called over to Aleksander._

_Aleksander span around on his heels, "In a motel, obviously. Just outside of a city called Morganville."_

_"It's true, isn't it?" I asked vaugely, basically ignoring him._

_"Yes, Claire" he told me, his voice firm but warm, "Annabel is dead. So is Keira. Lucy escaped, of course and your parents have minor injuries, but are generally okay."_

_"And Florian? Is he..." I swallowed, "Dead?"_

_"Too you, yes." Aleksander replied._

_*Flashback end*_

My brother is dead to me? What does that mean?

Questions were flying through my head: Why did Aleksander save me? What _really _happened to Florian? How could we stop Lucy?

I needed closure. I needed to _know._

"Claire..." Aleksander made himself known.

"Aleksander." I repeated.

"I knew you would turn up at my door eventually, sweet Claire," he said, "You've always had a thirst for knowledge and I knew that you couldn't stand not knowing."

Woah, that was spot on, "I want to know everything."

"Everything," Aleksander repeated, blinking once, "Well come in then, this could take a while."

I did. Okay, it probably wasn't the wisest decision of course, considering Aleksander was a vampire and I was on my own in the middle of the night. But I trusted him. Besides, he put himself if a lot of danger all those years ago to save my life, it would be just a _little _anti-climax if he killed me now.

I took a seat on his little chair, dust flying off of it as I did. Obviously, it hadn't been used in a while.

"Why did you save me?" I asked, my voice like a rock, not showing any emotion.

Aleksander sat himself down on the chair oppisite me and passed me a cup of hot chocolate. I drank it catiously taking little sips whilst Aleksander explain, "Do you know what I was before I became a vampire back in the 1912?"

I shook my head, so he continued, "I was like you, Claire. I was a witch."

I nearly choked on my drink. Apart from the harvest and my own family, I'd never met another witch before and since witches and vampires hated each other, it was extremely rare to meet a vampire that was once a witch.

"As you know, every witch has something special about them and their powers. Your powers make you process things quickly and accuratley, Lucy can control her own emotions and protect herself easily. Yes?" I nodded, "Well, like your friend, Miranda, I can see the future. Luckily, I mastered the art a bit more than she did."

Miranda was a witch? I can't believe I'd never thhought of that before. It made a lot of sense though, "You can tell the future?"

"I _could" _Aleksander reiterated, "Witches powers rely on nature so when they become vampires, they are considered unnatural so therefore lose their powers."

"That doesn't explain why you saved me though."

"No, You're quite right. It doesn't." Aleksander sighed, "You see, ever since I was little, I had visions of a girl. She was dark right to the core. She never loved anyone or felt any guilt for any of the bad things that she'd done. There was only one person who was capable of changing her emotions, do you know who that was?"

It took me a couple seconds to take it all in. The dark girl was Lucy and I was obviously going to be the one person who could effect her, naturally, "Me?"

"Yes." Aleksander confirmed, "In my visions, this girl brought darkness and death to thousands of humans and even threatened the whole vampire race. Now I couldn't let that happen. I watched you and Lucy growing up. You were always best friends, and Lucy was tame. You kept her calm, until the harvest at least."

"Why did she try to get me killed by those witches then?"

"Simple. They offered her something that she couldn't deny."

"What was that?"

"Your power."

"What?" I asked, confused. _My _power? What was so special about me? Lucy was and had always been stronger than me. Why would she want my power when it was os much weaker than her own.

"You underestimate yourself, Claire. You are what we call a wild power. It's ower that seems quiet and innocent but inside, it is like a storm ready to explode. You could manipulate anyone you want to. You could make anything you want to happen come true. You could literally take over the world if you wanted."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Aleksander chuckled, "You're a good kid, Claire. When you were born, the witches were worried that you would be dark, like Lucy. But you're not. Lucy knows that. She can't control you, no one can. That leads us too why Lucy betrayed you. Lucy knew about your powers, she could sense it. When she learnt that you were doing the harvest, she knew that you would die. She made a deal with the witches, when you die, she can _harvest _your power. So when you didn't die, she had to make sure that you did. That's why she told the coven where you would be hiding."

"If she doesn't care about anyone, then why is she so angry that Annie died?" I asked.

"Lucy doesn't like when people steal her toys." Aleksander told me simply.


	6. Chapter 6

I sighed, "So basically, my sister wants to kill me so she can take over the world."

"Hit the nail on the head there Claire." Aleksander agrees.

There was a moment of awkward silence before the question that I'd really been wanting to ask flew back into my brain, "Wait! What did you mean when you said Florian was dead, _too me?_"

Aleksander smiled widely, "I thought you were never going to ask. Florian could be alive, or he couldn't me. It depends on your own opinion"

"What the hell?"

"Some would say that your dear brother is dead, beyond saving." Aleksander had a mischevious smile on his face, "But others may say that he is still very much alive."

"Aleksander!" I growled, "Just tell me whether he is dead or he isn't, will you?"

He was toying with my emotions, for God's sake. He knew how much my twin brother meant to me and he was teasing me, hiding the truth one way or another. If Florian really was dead after all, then that would be a bloody cruel joke too lay, wouldn't it?

"I'm a vampire, Claire" I heard a soft, melodic voice call from across the room. Naturally, I span around to face the holder of that voice, instantly recognizing it. Florian! He was there, right there! Albeit, he was a little paler than the last time I'd saw him, but overall, barely anything had changed. His hair was a little longer and lighter, like a little blonde cloud of curls now. He was still the same height, almost 6 foot and he still had the same welcoming smile that I was used too.

Instinctively, I run to him and hugged him. It felt nice seeing my brother after all this time. Oh god, I thought he was dead. But he wasn't, he was here. I guess that I should have been angry at him for not telling me, but I knew from Michael's experience that being a new vampire around humans would be difficult. Besides, Lucy wouldn't know that he was alive and that would definitly give us an edge in confronting her!

This was awesome.

Florian patted my head, "I wish I could say that you've grown but I'd rather not lie to you..."

I giggled, the first real laugh in months, "Damn you. I've missed you."

"I know, I've been watching over you from time to time."

For a second, I forgot everything. I forgot about Morganville, forgot about Shane and the vamps. I honestly, for a second or two believed that I was back home in New Orleans with my whole family and Lucy and I were still best friends but then Aleksander coughed and we were brought out of our little happy place and back into the real world.

The real world where my life was in constant danger, both from my own sister and the vampires who plauged my town.

The real world where I had an awesome boyfriend and amazing bestfriends with an amazing house but all I really wanted was my boss.

_Perfect, _I thought sarcastically.

"We still have to talk about Lucy" Aleksander told us solemnly.

"What are we going to do about her?" I asked.

Aleksander started pacing now, "We still need to decide whether Lucy can still be saved or whether she has to be eliminated. But one thing is for sure," Aleksander span and faced me, "Claire you will have to trained by Florian and I in order to be able to control your magic. It is essential."

I gasped, "But you know I can't."

"I know, that is why I will train you." He said, "No complaining. Florian, take her home. Claire, be here the night after tomorrow at 12 o'clock. Tell no one of what I am teaching you, you never know who Lucy has compelled. Florian will collect you from your home."

It was completely pitch black now, being about 1am and all. I shivered knowing that hungry vampires would be roaming the streets by now. I knew that Florian would protect me. That wasn't the problem. I just got him back and if I had to loose him again to a feral vampire then it would probably _actually _break my heart.

I needn't have worried because we got home quickly, and without a single vampire even passing us, let alone trying to kill us. Guess it was a lucky day.

Florian walked me right up to the door and stood right besides me, even as I opened I searched my bag for my keys. I found them and unlocked. He waited for me to fully open the door before hugging me goodbye.

"Be safe, Claire." He whispered, "Promise?"

"I promise." I replied.

I threw my keys on the side and took my shoes off, trying to be as quiet as possible so I didn't wake them up or let them know that I was even awake myself.

I was just about to tip-toe upstairs when I heard scuffling coming from the living room. My heart stopped. What if they were awake? I remember Aleksander's words: "_tell no one_" and fumbled to think of a way to explain myself if they were. _I guess there's only way to find out_, I told myself. I flung open the living room door to face my three roomates sitting down, staring right at me.

Shane stood up angrily, "Do you want to explain why you crept out in the middle of the night in a town of vampires and why you're cheating on me?" he yelled.

Oh crap, I guess I was in trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

**So I feel kinda bad because this is rated as a Clyrnin fic, but so far there have only been mentions of Clyrnin, no real scenes. If you're a Clyrnin lover thn don't fret, there will be plenty of Clyrnin in this chapter and the next :) Enjoy!**

I swallowed. I looked up at Michael and Eve who were also looking angry and waiting. Quick. I had to think of something to say.

"I'm not cheating." I said, that was good start. Making things clear without actually revealing anything. Not a lie either.

"Well who was that then?" Shane asked, so angry that steam was practically coming out of his ears, "And don't bother lying that it was someone that Amelie sent you to work with, because why would you hug him if it was?"

That was a good point. I decided to just be honest, after all, Florian was my brother, I wasn't reveaing any secrets by telling him that, "Fine, he's my twin brother."

Shane look unconvinced but stepped down, this left Michael to ask the questions now, "Why would you have to go out in the middle of the night to see _your brother?"_

Yep. I totally didn't plan that answer. Now what do I say? I lied, "He's in trouble with the police, he can't be seen."

Eve sighed now, hugging me, "Oh, Claire. I totally understand."

She did. Jason was never _out _of trouble with the police. So Eve _did _understand how it felt to have to hide your brother. As awful as it sounds, I was almost glad that Jason and Eve had such a strained relationship, it meant that Michael and Shane probably wouldn't push my lie in fear of upsetting Eve.

"You still should have told us that you were going to meet him. We were worried sick!" Eve told me, shaking my shoulders slightly.

"I didn't know, or I would have." That was half the truth. I really _hadn't _known that I was going to see Florian. I thought he was dead, after all.

"Okay," Eve said, hugging Claire.

Michael hugged me next, give me a quick "Let me know next time, that was really dangerous" and then dropping it. I looked over at Shane, who was still glaring at me.

"You've never mentioned your brother before," Shane said angrily.

"You've never asked, that's why" I spat back at him with equal venom.

"Well I don't believe you," he hissed, "I think you're nthing but a whore trying to save your own back."

I heard Michael and Eve gasp as Shane stalked away. I acted like I didn't care but as soon as I got up to my room, I flooded myself in tears. I could hear Shane laughing and talking downstairs and it pained me to hear everyone so normal when Shane had just called me a whore. I was so angry, how could he just call me that and have no consequences whatsoever.

I packed a bag quickly, throwing in my pyjamas and pillow and throwing it over my shoulder. I banged down the stairs and ran into the living room. As promised, I told Eve and Michael that I was going. They weren't happy, but understood. Shane didn't say anything, but if looks could kill...

I took the portal, of course. I was barely keeping my eyes open, there was no way I was walking.

Myrnin's lab smelt like a mix of dust and chemicals but it smelt more like home than the Glass house ever had. Myrnin was leaning of a desk with books wide open, with chemicals spilling everywhere. His eyes lit up in a mix of delight and surprise when he saw me. My heart nearly skipped a beat, but didn't. That was releiving since I know that Myrnin could probably hear it if it did skip and that would be more than a little embarrasing.

"Claire," He mumbled, looking me up and down, "What a surprise."

I burst into tears, "Shane and I argued."

"Oh dear," Myrnin said, wrapping his arms around me, "Don't cry, cariad, he will _never _be worth your tears."

I blinked and wiped my tears, although there was still a lump in my throat. Myrnin was really close now: _kissing close. _He was staring straight into my eyes and I was staring straight into his. They were blue, like the sky and the ocean. I'd never really noticed how pretty they were before...

He kissed me. It tasted of cinnamon and reeked of guilt and secret love. It was warm and gentle, unlike Shane's hot, passionate ones. Myrnin wrapped his hands around my back and my hands instinctively rose up into his hairline.

_Oh god, _I thought, _I was kissing Myrnin._


	8. Chapter 8

I didn't know how I felt. On the one hand, it was one of the best kisses I've had in ages and I really liked Myrnin but at the same time, I didn't want to hurt Shane.

Myrnin and I looked at each other for a few moments after the kiss and I could see in Myrnin's eyes that he was happy and hurt at the same time. Happy, because we had kissed and I know he liked me. Hurt, because I pulled away.

"I cant do this to Shane" I told him.

"But he broke your heart?" Myrnin said like a question.

"Exactly. Things between me and him are complicated and as much as I like you, I need to sort things out between Shane and I"

"Okay." He said and I felt awful.

Myrnin gave me his room for a while and I managed to sleep until abou 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I was woken up by Myrnin with a cup of coffee and some snacks. Today was the founder's ball and I wasn't really excited anymore. The whole thing with Lucy and my arguement with Shane was drew the happiness out of me.

I had a dress packed. By some miracle, it hadn't creased at all in my bag. I took a shower after Myrnin and started getting ready.

My dress was turquoise with ribbons at the back. I had a cotton white shawl and gloves to go with it. I had smoky eyes with a blue tint around my eyes. My heels were 6-inch and turquoise like the dress. As soon as I put my dress on, I felt excited again. I felt like a princess and not to blow my own trumpet, but I looked like one too!

There was a knock on the door and Myrnin came in, telling me, "Will you be accompanying me to the ball? Or are you going home to go with that boy?"

"I'm going with you," I told him, "I can't even stand Shane right now."

Myrnin smiled widely, "Great. Amelie has arranged one of her limos to collect us in a few minutes, so be ready."

"I will," I smiled at him and as he went to leave, I called him back," Oh and Myrnin,"

"Yes, Claire?"

"Thank you,"

He look confused, "What ever for?"

"Being so nice."

He smiled but looked down, "That's perfectly fine, Claire."

He was right, the limo didn't take long. Myrnin was a gentleman, taking my hand and leading me out into the vehicle. He opened the door for me and lead me in. Everything was picturesque, although I couldn't imagine Amelie settling for less than perfect. There was a ballroom with clear glass chandeliers, a stage decorated with lillies, a huge dancefloor and the rest of the room was full of tables covered with white tableclothes featuring vases of white roses and silver diamonds. There was a bar to the left of the room and I could see, even from this far away that there would be a long queue.

We weren't early, but we were earlier than the other members of the Glass house. That wasn't surprise, knowing Eve.

"Can I have this dance, milady?" Myrnin asked, holding out his hand for to me to take. I did and he lead me out onto the dance floor. Amelie and Oliver were slow dancing to some old jazz record from the 1920's. A few people I didn't recognize were dancing with their dates, also.

Myrnin was a surprisingly good dancer and it was easy to lose track of time whilst I was with him. He made it look so effortless and he swung me around as though I was weightless like a feather. I suppose that all vampires would be good dancers, considering the fact that they have more co-ordination and sharper movements but it almost felt like more than that. When they he was dancing, he wasn't Myrnin, the crazy vampire scientis. He was Myrnin, a person with feelings and love.

"Excuse me,"I heard an annoying voice call from next to me and both Myrnin and I stopped dancing. Shane was standing besides us on the dancefloor, looking extremly fushed and angry.

"What? I asked vemonously, causing Shane's knuckles to tighten.

"What are you doing with _him?_" He growled.

I decided to be sarcastic, "Dancing, duh!"

"I meant, why are you dancing with him in the first place?" We were getting a few strange looks and a small audience now.

"Why not?" I asked, "You thought I was a whore a few hours ago and now you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous. I'm just wondering why _my _girlfriend has spent most of the night dancing with her boss instead of spending time with _me._" Whoah. He sounded like a brat right now.

"Can't I talk to other people, Shane?"

"Yes, if you want to be a fangbanging whore," That caused some horrified gasps from around us, as well as an applaud from some one in the audience who was obviously team human.

Ouch, I can't say that it didn't hurt. I turned to Myrnin with tears in my eyes. He was already angry but when he saw me crying, his anger went from bad to wors. He was practically fuming now.

"Would you like to repeat what you just said to her," Myrnin roared, "To me this time?"

Shane didn't back down but he didn't answer Myrnin and I could tell that he was afraid. Myrnin started again, "Not so brave now are you, little human? You'll throw any words you want at Claire, but you won't blink an eyelid at me, will you?"

Shane was bright red now with his knuckles screwed tightly in a ball. The only time I'd ever seen him like this was when he was in bite club. Michael picked up on this and he and Eve ran over to Shane, pulling him back, telling him to back off. He did. He ran away like a puppy with his tail between his legs.

"Now, Myrnin began, "Where were we?"


	9. Chapter 9

I tried to push Shane and his antics to the back of mind, put him in a draw to be ignored. It worked a little bit,but every now and then, the draw would rattle reminding me that he still had to be dealt with. I had a feeling that this arguement could be the end of us. I know I sound dramatic, but we haven't truly be _in love _for ages now. Maybe it would be better for us to break up?

Myrnin and I danced for ages, letting the music control us instead of our demons. I was refreshing. After dancing for a while, he bought me a drink; some fancy cocktail that I didn't know the name of, but felt too ashamed to ask.

The night was drawing to a close now, and since it was _the founder's _ball, Amelie was going to give a speech soon to see everyone off. Myrnin and I sat down at the table as Amelie climbed the stage, getting ready to give her speech.

Everyone clapped as Amelie finished, Myrnin especially. Him and Amelie had been best friends at one point and they were still close now, they'd been together for centuries, it was only natural.

Then something strange happened. Just as Amelie was finishing her speech and making her way down from the stage, Miranda raced onto the stage, grabbed the microphone to give a speech of her own. Even Amelie looked shocked, her guards were on their toes about to throw themselves towards Miranda but they didnt. It was obvious that Miranda didn't mean Amelie any harm, she had whirled straight past her, barely even notciing that the scariest vampire in town was right there.

"Claire," Miranda gasped, brething heavily. She was wearing her everyday clothes, so she must not have been at the ball already. Did she run all the way here? "Watch out."

There were a couple horrified gasps and confused whispers from all around the room and although I was fixated on Miranda, I could see Myrnin tensing up from the corner of my eye. I froze.

Miranda continued, "Don't underestimate her Claire. Your love will be your weakness and she knows that."

Some guards were pulling Miranda of the stage now. She was still talking but she was too far away for anyone to hear. Everyone was silent except for quiet, gossiping whispers being spread across the room.

"You may all go home now, safe travels" Amelie blurted into the microphone, trying to sound confident and collected but it came out as a confused blur, "Claire and Myrnin come with me."

The room began to empty quickly, people obviously weren't excited to stay here in the middle of the night, especially after Miranda's announcement. Amelie and Oliver led Myrnin and I to a small room at the back of the hall. Amelie stayed quiet for a while, waiting until her guards had made everyone leave. Once the hall was empty, Amelie sat down, gesturing for me too sit oppisite her. Myrnin sat next to me and Oliver was leaning against the wall.

"Claire, do you know that girl on the stage?" Amelie asked.

"Yeah, Miranda." I replied.

"Do you know what she was talking about?" Amelie asked.

I shook my head and Amelie looked furious at that, sighing, she looked over at Oliver who stood up angrily and appeared really close to my face, "Do not bother lying, child. Amelie and I are older and stronger than you. If we don't get the truth, we will crush you like a bug."

Myrnin stared right back at Oliver, "Oliver, there is no need to threaten my assisant in such a manner now, is there?"

Oliver growled, "We do not have time for her shanangigans. If this 'warning' should threaten Morganville or its citizens then I do not care for the fling between you and your aprentice, she will be killed."

Amelie jumped in now, "Oliver! I am the founder, and Claire is my property. If she lives or dies is my right to say, not yours."

"Sorry ma'am," Oliver said politely, his tone of voice completely different now.

"Good." Amelie nodded, "Now, Claire. As Oliver said, we know that you are lying. Now, tell us what is really going on."

The door swung open and in marched Aleksander, Florian, Michael, Eve and unfortunatley, Shane. When Amelie saw Aleksander, she looked very confused. I think Amelie turned Aleksander back in the 20th century. I remember Aleksander telling me that he was turned by a very powerful blonde vampire. That fits Amelie's desciption. Also, both Amelie and Aleksander's eyes lit up upon seeing each other so there was definitley some kind of history between them.

"Aleksander," She mumbled, "I didn't realise you were in Morganville,"

Aleksander turned to Amelie, "I'm not, old friend. I was simply passing by"

"I see," Amelie said suscpiciously, "Well what would bring you in here today?"

Aleksander flicked his hair and Amelie actually _smiled_, "You know I love a good ol' party. Just kidding, actually I came here for Claire."

Amelie's smile dropped, "What of her? She is mine now."

Aleksander laughed, "I know, dear Amelie. I have no intentions of taking her from you but something deadly has hit Morganville and she has to be stopped. Claire is the only person who can do that."

"Explain." Amelie said, sitting back and waving her hand like a queen.

"You remember the witch mission that you and I started shortly after you formed Morganville, right?"

"Yes, of course. We never did find any conclusions." Amelie agreed, leaning forward.

"We did. We were just a century too early," Aleksander smiled, before making a huge gesture towards me, "Meet our very own wild power, Claire Elizabth Danvers..."


	10. Chapter 10

It had taken a while, but finally, I had gotten home and was snuggled up in bed. My overnight stuff was still in Myrnin's, but I'd gone to the Glass House instead. No need to over-complicate mine and his reltionship now, was there? Michael, Shane and Eve were asleep by now, since it was about 3am, but I couldn't sleep. Knowing that Lucy was out there and ready to hurt people I loved had gotten my adrenaline levels all wired up and now I was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Amelie hadn't been that surprised that I was a wild power, she'd just been more surprised that she hadn't noticed it before. I guess that was a fair point. She'd spent centuries searching for a wild power and here I was, right under her nose without her noticing. I think it scared her. If she didn't know that a wild power (apparently, I'm pretty dangerous) was living in her town then what else was here without her knowing? She had asked me all sorts of question about Lucy and witch stuff and my power, but fortunatly Florian and Aleksander had answered most of her questions - mainly because I didn't even know the answer myself.

It was 10am when I woke up, but it wasn't natural. Michael was shaking me, "Sorry for waking you but we can't wait any longer. I have bad news that Amelie says you need to know."

I sit up quickly, getting a bad case of head rush but ignoring it. What was so urgent that I would have to be woken up? And for Amelie to get involved too? It had to be serious, "What's wrong?"

"Richard Morrell is dead," I look at Michael, confused. I mean, I liked Richard and all. He was a decent guy but it's not like we were best buds or anything. Why was this so important that Amelie would personally go out of her way to alert me? He was mayor so no doubt that the whole town would know in the matter of a few days.

"Oh. That's terrble, what happened?" I asked, a bit guilty for wanting to know how he died.

Michael sighed, "Here's the bit that I know you won't like. He was called out last night after Myrnin complained that his lab had been attacked. Richard never made it too the lab. Something, not a vampire, killed him before he got to the lab."

Not a vampire? Lucy's threats of hurting Myrnin if I didn't bring Lucy back kept springing into my head. I put my head in my hands and mumbled, "Oh my god."

Michael sighed too, "Amelie wants you to meet her at 10:30 in the secret room. She says that you'll know what's going on more than she will or something like that anyway."

"Erm, okay. Is anyone in the bathroom?" I grabbed a pair of denim skinny jeans and a white blouse, as well as some underwear before blushing and remembering that Michael was still there. I looked over at him, but he either hadn't noticed or was trying to act cool about it not to make me embarrased.

He got the gist and walked out of the room, turning back to tell me something"This isn't over Claire, I hate that your out doing secret business and none of us know whats happening. The whole town is scared and if you know something, you have to tell us." It was a warning and a plead at the same time.

As always, Amelie was right on time. I was early too, as usual. She created me with a smile, which I wasn't use too. In her eyes, I could see a fear but it was quickly replaced by Amelie's usual cold stare. I wasn't sure whether she was scared of the whole situation surrounding Richard's death or even the fact that the whole town was terrified of the non-vampire murderer. _No, _I thought, _she's scared of me. _Amelie had searched for a wild power for years, apparently I was crazy powerful and with my past of my magic being uncontrollable, I wasn't surprised. Even Amelie should be scared of Lucy and I.

"Hello, Claire," Amelie began, "I suppose that Michael told Myrnin's lab was attacked and that Richard Morrell is dead?"

"Yes, he told me" I replied politely.

"I want you to investigate the lab and tell me whether it was Lucy or not, okay?"

I nodded as Amelie led me through the portal. The lab had obviously not been touche since last night. Glass was shattered all over the place and books and equiptment were singed and falling apart. It all looked like it had been hit by a nuclear bomb. That's not what grabbed my attention though. The first thing I noiced was that there was a red message on the wall. It was writted in blood.

"I hit harder," I read aloud.

If there was even a sliver of doubt before that this was the actions of Lucy, then there certaintly wasn't now. Lucy was trying to scare me, and she'd succeeded. It was refrence to our childhood, of course. Back in the days were we argued like the little kids we were. I always told her that she wasn't playing fair, to which she'd reply that she 'hit harder' to scare me into not telling my Dad.

It was strangely relevant now. What Lucy was asking from me - to bring Annie back - was completley unreasonable but I couldn't tell anybody, not really. Because if I did, she'd hit harder and hurt the ones that I loved - including Myrnin.

Then a scary thought hit me. Richard had been in the Alleyway when Lucy had killed him. She'd obviously attacked the lab then tried to escape. Richard was collateral damage... Or was he?

I gasped as I realised that I was meant to be staying in the lab last night. It was only because I didn't want to overcomplicate things that I had gone home. Richard hadn't been killed so that there was no witnesses or to send a message. Lucy had simply made a mistake. She'd obviously heard scuffling about in the alley and assumed that she knew who was going to be out there. Lucy thought Richard was me!


	11. Chapter 11

I span round to face Amelie, saying, "She thought Richard was me"

"Why would Lucy think that, you were at home, were you not?"

"Yes, but I was supposed to be here. The only reason I wasn't was because I didn't want to make him uncomfortable after I..." I trailed off, quickly remembering that this was Amelie I was talking too. She was the scariest vampire i Morganville and I'd nearly admitted that I'd kissed her friend behind my boyfriends back.

"You did what..." Amelie urged to me too continue, a humorous light in her eyes that made me blush, "Do carry on, Child!"

"I kissed him" I whispered instinctivly, even though her guards and Myrnin - if he was even here - would be able to hear me anyway.

Amelie laughed a little then began solemn again, "This seems like the kind of issue which I will not get involved with. All that matters is that you are confirming that it was Lucy who killed Richard?"

"Yes, ma'am. The message in blood is a phrase that Lucy always used to say to me an leaving messages and collateral damage is her style anyways"

"That will be all Claire although I will remind you that Aleksander wishes to meet you tonight at 6 o'clock so he can train you. It would be very unwise to miss your appointment."

"Yes Ma'am." I replied before heading back into the portal. I'd honestly completely forgot that Aleksander was going to train me to control my magic. I was dreading it. We'd established many years ago that I couldn't control my magic. Once it was open, it all flooded out and I could hurt or even kill people without meaning too. I didn't want to risk hurting anyone, even Monica and the Monickettes but I knew that if they were to say anything to me while my magic was going haywire then it would probably burst out.

No matter how horrible Monica was, I didn't want her dead and I definitely didn't want to be the one to kill her. She was only human, after all.

Then I remembered what Michael had told me before I left. He'd warned me that him, Eve and Shane were going to talk to me about what had been going on in the last few days. He made it sound like they were worried but Eve wasn't too happy with me and the last time I'd seen Shane, he'd nearly fought with Myrnin and the time before that, he called me a whore and accused me of cheating on him _with my brother, _for God's sake.

As I came through the portal, I heard the voices of my roommates. Shane and Eve were arguing quietly then Michael whispered something to them. Telling them that I was here, I assumed since they went quiet.

"Claire, come here a sec." Eve called from the living room.

I sighed inwardly and walked over to the living room door, "Yes?" I asked. They were all in the same places as they had been when I'd came home after finding out Florian was alive.

"We just to talk to you, honey," She said sweetly, obviously trying to make me think that everything was okay. It wasn't.

I sat down on the chair since they were all occupying the sofa already and there was no way I was going to sit next to Shane. He picked up on that and scowled. What did he expect after he called me a whore and made a holy show out of me at an event the whole town was attending? He'd nearly fought Myrnin too, which just shows how stupid he can be. He was just really annoying me lately.

"What's going on, Claire?" Michael asked, "Richard Morrell is dead, there's been some kind of attack on the lab. Amelie's really uptight lately too and everyone in Morganville is terrified."

"And you seem to be the only person who knows anything." Eve continued quietly.

I blinked and pause for a second before replying to them quickly, "It's no big deal really, I just have some family issues."

"It's more than that." Shane said sharply from the end of the sofa, "You're lying to us. Either tell us what's going on or else..."

"Or else what?" I spat back at him and he visually recoiled, surprised that I'd said anything back to him, "It's my family, my problems. Stay out of it."

Eve carried on now, "Claire, calm down" Me? Did she really tell _me _to calm down? Seriously, when Shane had just threatened me. She continued now, "Please, just tell us. We want to help."

"If it was only a family problem, Amelie wouldn't be involved." Michael agreed.

"I'm a witch." I burst out. I hadn't expected it too sound so abrupt, but it had came out as an emotionless rush. I'd expected a weight to be lifted from my chest at telling them about who I really was but I felt nothing. _Because you don't really care about what they think,not really, _a little voice from the bottom of my head told me as I looked over at Michael and Eve's disbelieving faces.

"Oh, trust me. I know." Shane muttered sarcastically.

"And you wonder why I never tell you anything." I say venomously, gestuing at Shane. With this, I saw their expressions go from a mix of anger and humour to fear and concern. Concern for me? I'm sure five minutes ago, they couldn't give a damn about me? _No, _I told myself, _this is the magic speaking. They're your friends, of course they care._

"Seriously?" Michael asked, eyebrows raised, "Is that what the trouble is about? You being a witch?"

"Not exactly," I began, "Let me tell you about my sister..."


	12. Chapter 12

Eve and Michael had been pretty sympathetic. Shane wasnt too bad, he apoligised unwillingly and I accepted it. I almost felt bad for kissing Myrnin, _almost. _

I flung myself back into the armchair and switched on the news. It was a report of Richard's death. Apparently, the humans of Morganville were angry at Amelie for not finding Richard's killer yet. If only hunting Lucy down was easy. She wouldn't be found until she wanted to be, I knew that for sure. I passed the time by flicking through the channels. Shane came over once and tried to cuddle but pushed him away.

Mean? Yes, but he wasn't getting away with what he sai to me that easily.

Six o'clock came slowly but when it did, I told Michael goodbye and I couldn't get out of the house quickly enough. Apparently, neither could Michael and Eve since they were going to the cinemas to watch a film that I knew neither of them cared about. They just wanted to get away from the horrible atmosphere in this house.

The sun was still up - just about, though. I was safe enough to walk to Aleksander's motel room anyway. The Glass House wasn't that far away from Morganville's border and I arrived at it in no time. As usual, there was no one on the desk. There was no need when all the rooms were basically empty. Actually, a part from Aleksander's, I think they all _were_ empty.

"Hello?" I called as I came into the room. Three faces turned to look at me. Wait! Three? Obviously, I'd been expecting Aleksander. I kind of knew that Florian would be here since I was his little sister and this is where he spent most of his time. But the third face? That was unexpected...

_Myrnin. _Why was he here? I mean, obviously he knew about my powers but I didn't think he'd want to talk to me after I blew him off when we kissed. Maybe Amelie had ordered him to be here. That would make sense, at least.

"Amelie told me to take care of you," He explained, almost as if he could read my mind.

There was an awkward silence as I nodded, putting my head down. Fortunatly, Aleksander noticed and got started with the ritual, "You ready?" he asked me.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess..." I replied half-heartedly.

Florian spoke this time, leading me over to a desk, "I promise, Claire. I won't let you get hurt," he started whispering, "Neither will Myrnin, he's been here all day making sure it was safe for you."

"It's not me I'm scared of hurting," I replied honestly and I saw Florian look at me confused for a few seconds before catching on and reassuring me that it would be okay. I heard him talking but his words were just a blur.

Aleksander sat on the chair oppisite me. He put a ball of rope in front of me, explaining what I had to do, "It's simple really. Just use magic to untie the rope. It's more complicated than it looks, I promise"

I nodded and concentrated on the rope. It came undone. Aleksander and Myrnin shared a look that told me that this wasn't normal. I swallowed. Untying the rope was simple, but it was supposed to be more challenging than that. I guess this was why I was a wild power then. I was only just learning how much power my magic contained.

"Okay, well I think we can go with something a bit harder now, don't you?" Aleksander smiled, "This time, try and focus your power on making an energy ball."

An energy ball. They were Lucy and I's old favourite when we were kids. It was basically a ball of energy and it could do anything. It could be a snowball to a water balloon to things more dangerous, like fire. I think I can do this.

I took a deep breath in and exhaled, positioning my hands in the shape of a ball and imagining a ball. I concentrated and I could feel my power building up inside of me. It was a burning and I pushed it into the ball. Then I saw it become physical. It was small and purple, but definitley real.

A breeze was swirling around the room now - a byproduct of my magic. It was gaining powerful and I saw Aleksander flinch away from it, "You can stop now Claire."

I couldn't. The power inside me was burning now, threatening to break though. I pulled my hands away from the ball but it kept turning. I panicked, naturally, looking over at Florian with a look on my face that I knew was going to be fear.

"I can't!" I cried.

The wind was strong now, acting like a hurricane in reaction to my panic. Myrnin shouted over to me, "Just stay calm Claire, it'll go away!"

That didn't help. I felt blood trickling from my nose as the power ball continued to drain me. I wiped it instinctivley, a mistake as it only make me panic more. I couldn't breathe! I was sobbing now, crying out to Florian to make it stop, but he and Aleksander where flipping through books. Probably trying to find out how to stop me.

"It's okay, Claire, we'll help you," Aleksander shouted over the noise of the wind.

"Quick!" I screamed, panic showing clearly in my voice. Damnit! I knew this would happen! I told them I couldn't do it! I told them! I was going to end up hurting them.

My power was pushing against me now, threatening to explode. I was still sobbing, I couldn't control it. I felt it burning inside of me. The windows imploded, shattering glass everywhere and all I could feel were Myrnin's strong arms as I fell into darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

"Claire," I heard a voice call. It was sweet and for a second, I didn't recognize it, but as soon as I did, I flung myself up quickly. Annie.

I felt tears in my eyes just looking at her. She looked so much older. Her hair was still blonde and she was still so little, but at the same time, she looked so grown up. She would have been 11 years old now.

We were in a clearing, somewhere... There were a few trees around us with some bluebells and tulips scattered around and there wasn't any clouds in the sky. It was all... Perfect. So it obviously wasn't real.

"Am I dead?" I asked automatically. Annie smiled, and gave a sweet little chuckle. It was nice to hear her laugh again. I thought I'd never hear it again.

"No," She laughed, "You'll go back soon. You only passed out. I just channelled you hear so I could talk to you."

"Oh..." I mumbled sheepishly, "Hi." I felt so stupid. How long had I wished for a chance to see Annie again, I'd imagined what I'd do if I saw her for so long and now that it was happening, all I could say was 'hi'? Seriously?"

Annie chuckled a little, "Hi to you too, Clarissa,"

"Two can play the full name game, Annabel" I mocked slightly, pulling my tounge out at her. Everything felt so warm, so... Normal. It was as if we'd seen each other yesterday, not almost 3 years ago. It was as if she'd never died.

I knew I had to go back, but I didn't want too. I wanted to forget about Lucy trying to kill me, Myrnin and I kissing, having to train my magic, being owned my Amelie, arguing with Shane. I wanted to forget it all and stay here with Annie forever. But that wouldn't happen, of course. I would go back. Most likely, soon.

Annie and I joked around for a while, but soon she got serious, "I have to talk to you about Lucy"

I froze at the sound of her name. Why? Why did we have to talk about _her? _Why couldn't we just talk about daffodills and daisy and rainbows and puppys, everything distinctly _un-Lucy? _Oh, wait, I know. My saddistic older sister with physcopathic tendancies wanted to kill me all the time. Why couldn't I just have a day with no Lucy drama?

"What about her?" I asked, trying not to sound cold towards Annie. After all, I hadn't seen her for so long and I didn't want to ruin it by getting in a hissy fit. This was mine and Annie's time, I refused to allow Lucy to ruin it for us.

"She really hates you Claire," Annie explained, tears in her eyes, "She's trying to ruin everything you have,"

"I know," I whispered to her, wiping her tears.

"No, you don't," Annie cried, "She's using people to hurt you!"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say, I'm not supposed too. You'll learn soon," Annie said, sounding more mature than I'd originally thought "Just know that she thinks she's doing this for me, but she's not. The sister that played Barbie's with us and brushed our hair is gone. It's all for her."

I hugged Annie. Logically, I knew she was a ghost but it wouldn't be hard for me to convince myself that she was alive. She was so warm and her little heart was pounding, still. She was slightly more pale, but other than that, you wouldn't have known that she died. We hugged for so long before Annie pulled away. She pushed me out too shoulder's width.

"You have to go now" She told me quietly. As she said that, I felt myself fading. Falling out of this dream world/heaven/god-knows-what back to the land of the living.

"No, Annie!" I heard my self cry, shocking myself with the desperation in my voice, "Please don't leave me again..."

It was too late. I could already see Aleksander's room again. I felt soft hands stroking my hair, holding me in their arms. I heard Myrnin's soothing words whispering too me, telling me that he was there. I opened my eyes.

Myrnin was looking down at me, his baby blue/green eyes pouring into my chocolate brown ones. God, he was beautiful. He always had been, but he was even more when he was like this. He looked so vulnerable, concerned for me. I wanted to kiss him right now, but I didn't. It would only make things so much worse for us.

"Hey," he smiled, "You're back,"

"Yep," I croaked out, my voice sounding hoarse and weak.

Myrnin sat me up, but still supported my back. He held me gently as if I was porcelain doll, about to break. I guess in some way, I was. My head began to spin and I grabbed it instinctively. There was a bandage wrapped around. Guess I hit my head when I fell.

"You okay, fy cariad?" Myrnin asked, fear in his eyes for a second. The Welsh coming out to him so naturally. It rolled smoothly off his tongue. I nodded and stood up, his hands were wrapped around my waist, supporting me.

We both leaned in, almost automatically. Aleksander and Florian weren't around, and I loved Myrnin. Maybe I was only just admitting it, but it was true. I loved him. He pressed his lips to mine and I pulled away.

"Let me guess," he sighed after a few seconds, "Shane..."

"It's not what you're thinking," I replied quickly.

"Then explain, little bird, because so far, it's exactly what I'm thinking." Myrnin said weakly, "I know, you can't do it too Shane. You love him too much."

"No, I can't do it too him," I smiled cheekily, "Not until tomorrow at least..."

"What do you me-" He began to ask, confused. I put my finger to his lip and then kissed him.

"I'm going to end it with Shane."


End file.
